Talking-machine.



F. 1. EMPSON.

TALKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 31, 1914.

1,158,401. Patented 0011.26, 1915.

* 'rnn srans 'rnn'r ()FFICE.

FREDERICK JAMES EIVIPSON, 0F SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE AEOLIAN COMPANY. i i

. TALKING-MACHINE.-

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915. I

Original application filed December 31,1912, Serial no. 739,521. Divided and this application filed October Y .31, 1914... Serial No. 869,694. a

To all whom itmay/ concern I Be it known that I, Fnnonnron. JAMES EMPSON, a subject of the IZingof Great Britain, residing at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Talking-Ma chines, of which the following is a specification.

ing machines, ph'onographs and other auto' matic musical instruments, relating particularly to improved control means for regulatingthe expression valve means in such instruments; and is a division of my earlier application for United .States patent Se rial No. 7 39,521, filed December 81, 1912. In said musical instruments wherein expression eifect's'are sought the manipulation of a'valve, I have discovered that thebe'st" municated to the valve. Secondly, said control means should also be freely portable or adapted to be swayed, in spite of its said connection, so that it'does not require the performer, in operating it, to assume or malntain any fixed relatlonship elther to 1t In other words, I

or to the instrument. have discovered that the eminently suitable control -meai1s for the expressiontvalve means in automatic musical instruments should comprise a freely portable handle having parts which in the hands of the performer are delicatelyadjustable relative to eachother with an immediate flexible opera- 1 tive connection to the expression valve, whereby every kind of adjustment of the.

handle parts on each other immediately adjusts saidvalve appropriately and whereby the "performer, because not compelled to maintain any f definite position, is free to move rhythmicallywith the music without in the slightest losing-or jeopardizing his control ofthe handle-or bringing about any undesired adjustment of its parts or of the valve due to said sympathetic movements of the hands, arms, or body generally.

The accompanying drawing shows diagrammatically an embodiment of my invention in connection with a phonograph or talking machine, the parts beingshown broken away and in section.

In said drawing thebase of the tonearm 1 and the neck of the horn 2 are indicated by the dotted lines. My invention is for improvements in talk- 3 is a horizontal part of the casing of the valve A, and the control means therefor 7 instrument or a shelf or partition therein.

comprising a portable two-part handle B and the immediate flexible operating connection C from said handle to said valve.

' The illustrated valve means A, forming more partlcularly the subject matter of my other above identified application, maybe briefly described hereas comprising a rubber throat 43 having a thin'lip 5 and a basal flange 6, the latter supporting the throat in the neck of the horn by being clamped between the ring 8 and-the flanged tube 7 that operatively supports the tone arm 1.

9 is a convexlyr domed valve, preferably made also ofso'ftflexibl'e rubber, supported at the mouth of the throat for adjustment axially relative thereto. The" valve is supported on the end of the endwise slidable wire 10 which in turn is supported and guided by the flexible hollow sheath '11.

This sheath, freely portable at its outer end orrather, adapted tobe swayed, is made fast at its inner end within a vertical openingformed in the bottom of an open cage 12 consisting of bent-up strips secured to the ring S. 1

Y The two-part handle B consists of the hollow outer part 13 and the contained rod like inner part 14 adjustable in the hands of the performer telescopically with respect to each other. The part 14 has an exposed head 15 and at its other end is secured to the slidable wire 10. The end 16 of the hol-' low handle part 13 is reduced for attachment as shown to the sheath 11. The result is that the handle'B' is immediately connectj ed with the valve A by the flexible operat ing means (3' whereby the handleisfreely, rhythmically portableor'movable as'an en tirety, yet always with perfect control of its parts in the' hands'of the operator either I:

for adjustment or non-adjustment thereof as the case may be, every adjustment of said parts with respect to each other resulting in a sliding of the wire 10 in its sheath with an immediate appropriate movement of the valve 9, large or small, fast or slow, and in either opening or closing direction at will.

17 is a coiled spring surrounding the wire between the end 16 of the handle-part 13 and the part 14, said spring being optionally provided to normally force the part 14: out of its fully telescoped position in the part 13 whereby the valve 9 is given normal tendency away from its closed or soft playing position.

18 is a pin projecting from the inner handle-part 14 to work in a longitudinal slot 19 in the outer handle-part 13 as said parts are being telescopically adjusted on each other to impart expression to the playing; or said pin can be rotated into one or other of the side notches 20 to lock the handleparts to each other and thereby maintain the valve in one certain position of adjustment.

In the foregoing preferred embodiment of my invention it will be seen that the freely swayable, adjustable handle with the immediate flexible operating connection to the expression device can itself be played upon as if it were a musical instrument like a violin, where every relative movement of the handle parts on each other, like the bow to the violin, produces its immediate effect; and .where that immediate control is not in the least impaired, but on the contrary vastly improved, by reason of the fact that the performer is perfectly free to sway the handle rhythmically with the music, like the violinist his instrument, and, unconscious of everything except the music, can produce his effects with beautiful, almost instinctive, mastery and finesse.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. The combination in an automatic musical instrument having a sound conduit, of valve means therefor, and freely swayable operating means for said valve means comprising a. manually operable portion and a connection between it and the valve means whereby said valve means may be adjusted independently of and be unmodified by the swaying of said manual portion relatively to the valve means.

2. The combination in an automatic musical instrument having a sound conduit, of valve means therefor, and freely swayable mechanical operating means for said valve means comprising a manually operable portion and a connection between it and the valve means whereby said valve means may be adjusted independently of and be unmodified by the swaying of said manual portion relatively to the valve means.

3. The combination in an automatic musical instrument of expression valve means, and freely swayable elongated, mechanical control means for said expression valve means adapted to be swayed sympathetically with the music without affecting the expression valve means.

1. The combination in an automatic musical instrument having a sound conduit, of valve means therefor, and freely swayable mechanical operating means for said valve means comprising a manually operable portion and a connection between it and the valve means whereby said valve means may be adjusted independently of and be unmodified by the swaying of the manual portion relatively to the valve means, and means on the aforesaid manual portion for releasably holding the valve means in different positions of adjustment.

5. The combination in an automatic musical instrument having a sound conduit, of a throat mounted within said conduit so that the sound must pass therethrough, and a plug valve cooperating axially with the throat opening, and freely swayable operating means for said valve means comprising a manually operable portion and a connection between it and the valve means whereby said valve means may be adjusted independently of and be unmodified by the swaying of the manual portion relatively to the valve means. a

6. The combination in an automatic musical instrument having a sound conduit, of a yielding throat mounted within said conduit so that the sound must pass therethrough, and a plug valve cooperating axially with the throat opening, and freely swayable operating means for said valve means comprising a manually operable portion and a connection betwe n it and the valve means whereby said valve means may be adjusted independently of and be unmodified by the swaying of the manual portion relatively to the valve means.

7. The combination in an automatic musical instrument having a sound conduit, of a tubular elastic throat mounted within said conduit so as to extend in the direction of the delivery of sound through the conduit, and a plug valve cooperating axially with the delivery end of the throat, and freely swayable operating means for said valve means comprising a manually operable portion and a connection between it and the valve means whereby said valve means may be adjusted independently of and be unmodified by the swaying of the manual portion relatively to the valve means.

8. The combination in an automatic musical instrument having a sound conduit, of a tapering tubular elastic throat mounted within said conduit with its larger portion secured to the interior of the conduit and with its smaller, mouth portion extending in the direction of the delivery of sound the throat,.and freely swayable operating 7 means for said valve means comprising a manually operable portion and a connectionbetween it and the valve means whereby said valve means may be adjusted independently of and be unmodified by the swaying of the manual portion relatively to the valve means.

9. The combination in an automatic musical instrument of a tone-arm and an amplifying horn, an internal tubular yielding throat extending from about the basal end of the tone-arm into the neck of the horn, a plug valve in the neck of the horn cooperating axially with said throat, and freely swayable operating means for said valve means comprising a manually operable portion and a connection between it and the valve means whereby said valve means may be adjusted independently of and be unmodified by the swaying of themanual portion relatively to the valve means.

10. The combination in an automatic musical instrument of an expression valve and a control therefor comprising a two part handle whose parts are operable relatively to each other, and an elongated, flexible mechanical operating connection, one end of said connection being operatively related to the expression valve, said connection at its other end being freely swayable in the hands of the operator, and bearing said handle at said end operatively connected thereto.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence oftwo witnesses.

FREDERICK JAMES EMPSON.

v Witnesses:

OSCAR F. GUNN, JOSEPH F. MEADE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

